In brief
Rapper Pooh Shiesty faces serious charges alongside eight others, accused of orchestrating an armed robbery and kidnapping of three individuals in Texas. The incident is tied to a business contract dispute related to Gucci Mane's record label, 1017 Records. Victims claim they were assaulted and robbed of valuables while being held against their will. The U.S. Attorney's Office details that Pooh Shiesty acted as the ringleader, and prosecutors emphasize the transition from a business meeting to a violent takeover inside a recording studio.
DALLAS (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Thursday accused rapper Pooh Shiesty and eight individuals of robbing three men at gunpoint and kidnapping them earlier this year in Texas due to a contract dispute involving rapper Gucci Mane's record label. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Dallas is currently keeping the victims' identities confidential, only referring to them by initials. One victim, R.D., is reportedly the owner of 1017 Records, the label established by Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Delantic Davis.Ryan Raybould, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, stated that the victims arrived in Dallas for legitimate business discussions but were met with firearms and violence. The allegations indicate that the confrontation took place on January 10 after the victims arrived in Dallas for what they believed to be a business meeting arranged by Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr., to discuss the terms of his recording contract with 1017 Records.Once inside the studio, Pooh Shiesty allegedly pulled out an AK-style pistol, coercing one victim to sign a release from the recording contract, while the others displayed firearms and robbed the men of cash, watches, jewelry, and other possessions. Reports also state that one victim was nearly choked unconscious during the incident, and another defendant obstructively barricaded the door.According to prosecutors, shortly after departing the Dallas studio, several defendants began showcasing items that appeared to be the jewelry taken from the victims on social media. Pooh Shiesty was reportedly under home confinement for a previous firearms conspiracy conviction in Florida when this incident occurred.Despite the serious charges, Pooh Shiesty remains prominently listed as an artist on the record label's website. Gucci Mane, recognized as a pioneer of trap music, continues to progress in his career with various music releases and business projects.
